MONGOLIA MOTORBIKE
TRAIL BIKE TOUR
(10 Days)
"GOBI DESERT"

03 - 12 July 2010 £2868 pp
Sorry - no availability

2011 dates here soon...

(sharing a room with another participant - 10 days Includes Yamaha WR250F Enduro Bike + fuel)

Rated: Novice (with some experience) to Intermediate

This is a Fly & Ride Adventure
Start/End: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
(Flights not included)

The Gobi Desert straddling the border between Mongolia and China, is a wild and dramatic place, entirely suitable for motorcycling. We ride on all sorts of roads: asphalt as well as packed mud, sand and gravel tracks with washouts and potholes. All pretty much free of traffic and through some spectacular scenery.

On the way we ride through Kharkhorin, the valley where Genghis Khan established the capital of the Mongol Empire in the thirteenth century. There is now a large Buddhist monastery here that was established in the sixteenth century.

The famous Gobi Desert has several unexpected geographical features: bizarre rock formations, canyons, the Gurvansaikhan mountain range and sand dunes 100km long, as well as forests of small saxaul trees and other desert vegetation. Apart from a few villages and small towns that we pass through on the way, most of the population have a nomadic lifestyle, frequently moving with their round white felt gers and herds of camels, goats and horses. This trip is a fascinating cultural experience as well as an off-road bike tour across Mongolia of over one and a half thousand kilometres.

Every night will be spent at ger camps where traditional ger tents have been set up for travellers and have facilities including a ger restaurant, bar, showers and toilet. These will be very welcome at the end of each day, since the Gobi Desert is usually a hot, dusty and windy place.

Our exciting oute takes in some of the most spectacular scenery in Mongolia (please see itinerary below)

The riding is excellent and the terrain consists of gravel (jeep) tracks, compacted soil, and long grassy slopes.

OFFROAD EXPERIENCE REQUIRED OR PARTICIPATION IN OFFROAD SKILLS COURSE

General Information

SUPPORT VEHICLES

The support vehicles will carry all luggage, food, tents, spares. The support vehicles have passenger carrying capacity. A truck will support the group and is capable of carrying several motorbikes.

HIRE BIKES -

NEW! We now have new KTM 450EXCs !

KTM 450 EXC

We have 10 Yamaha WR250F Enduro Bikes

LOGISTICS & COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT
We use satellite telephones and all our vehicles are fitted with 2-way long distance radios.

EMERGENCY RESCUE
There is a helicopter on 24 hr standby.

ACCOMMODATION & CAMPING EQUIPMENT
We use quality tents and are included in the holiday price.

MOTORBIKE MAINTENANCE
All our hire bikes are new 2007 models and are maintained regularily.

ROAD CONDITIONS
Mongolia is offroad paradise. The country has a vast network of rough jeep tracks and horse trails.

FOOD & DRINK
Our professional cook serves up delicious food consisting of pastas, meats, and fruit. We provide bottled water and snacks.
Meals are served in our large kitchen tent.

VISAS / CUSTOMS

We will assist you in obtaining a visa for travel in Mongolia and provide you with a letter of invitation.

Sample Itinerary

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

Day 1 Arrive Ulaanbaatar.
Transfer to hotel. Afternoon at leisure. Evening meet the tour crew and allocate the motorbikes.

Day 2 Ride to Khogno Khan mountain across the mountain steppe region of Central Mongolia. Some of the road has been improved and is smooth asphalt, but in the places where they are still working on it, we go off-road and follow the track marks. Overnight ger camp at the foot of the big granite rocks.
(B, L, D)
Approximate riding distance 290 km

Day 3 Ride to Kharkhorin and stop to visit Erdene Zuu monastery. Afternoon drive to Khujirt, a small town with a health resort visited by Mongolians who are treated with hot mud. Overnight ger camp. (B, L, D)
Approximate riding distance 137km

Day 4 Ride southwards to Arvaikheer town, the capital of Ovorkhangai province. Have a quick look round the town, then continue south towards the Gobi. This is Mongolia as one imagines it – distant horizons, dry rocky earth and a huge blue sky. Overnight ger camp. (B, L, D)
Approximate riding distance 220km

Day 5 Ride to Khongoryn Els where a huge belt of sand dunes 100 km long meet the end of the Altai mountain range. The “road” going further south goes straight through the sand dunes, which are known as the “singing sands” because of the sound heard when the wind blows. Overnight ger camp. (B, L, D)
Approximate riding distance 210km

Day 6 We ride through a wonderful mountain pass and on up into the Gurvansaikhan Uul (“Three Beautiful Mountains”) . This national park is so unexpected in the middle of the desert and it is a delight to feel so cool in the deep canyon where sunlight reaches for only a few minutes each day. Overnight ger camp. (B, L, D)
Approximate riding distance 140km

Day 7 Today we travel north-east to Tsagaan Suvraga, an amazing series of cliffs, white and pink limestone rock formations taking the appearance of stalagmites up to 30 meters high. It is an excellent site for some out-of-the-ordinary photography. Overnight ger camp. (B, L, D)
Approximate riding distance 225 km

Day 8 Continue northwards through Middle Gobi to reach Zorgol Khairkhan, a dramatic granite
mountain with bizarre rock formations jutting out against the skyline. Our last night is spent in this wonderful place and if you have enough energy you can climb on the mountain in the evening for great views of the area and different photographic angles. (B, L, D)
Approximate riding distance 275 km

Day 9 As we return to Ulaanbaatar, the landscape becomes gradually greener and more mountainous. Even close to the city people still live the traditional lifestyle; there are more horses and less camels than we encountered in the Gobi. We expect to arrive in Ulaanbaatar in the early afternoon. Overnight hotel. (B, L)
Approximate riding distance 125 km

Day 10 Transfer to airport for departure. (B)

Rated: Novice (with some experience) to Intermediate

OFFROAD EXPERIENCE REQUIRED OR PARTICIPATION
IN OFFROAD SKILLS COURSE

BOOK early!